Technical review of the GCRO QoL surveys: Synthesis report

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) conducted an externally-chaired technical review of its flagship Quality of Life survey (QoL) to mark the ten year anniversary of this unique survey. This report provides an account of key challenges and lessons identified through the ambitious review process – including the documented revisiting of past experiences, expert workshops, and interviews of providers and participants – and attempts assessments, a synthesis, and recommendations. It focusses on four key areas: sampling and weighting, survey management, questionnaire design, and index construction; and provides recommendations for the GCRO in each.

This summary focuses on the recommendations. After some background to QoL, the first three sections each gather the major recommendations at the outset, followed by more detailed provisions. The last section of this summary is slightly different, briefly outlining the description in the main document of how the index construction was actually re-worked as the recommendation for the future.

So the recommendations in these eight pages can be read on their own. But for their rationales, the reader should not escape the main text. The QoL is a mighty, arduous, costly, multi-faceted and intricate undertaking, of great social and political import. The detailed basis for its revised implementation, feasibly for the next decade, warrants careful attention by the decision-makers concerned.